Covid Cases Still Not In Decline
Indeed, the seven-day average of new cases is edging back up. And pockets of covid infections are still overwhelming hospitals.
The Wall Street Journal:
Covid-19 Cases Rise In Pockets Of North And West, Halting Delta Variant’s Decline In U.S.
Covid-19 cases are climbing in places like the upper Midwest, Southwest and parts of the Northeast, hindering the nation’s progress in ending a surge triggered by the highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus. Nationally, the seven-day average of new cases appears to be edging back up after hovering just above 70,000 for several weeks, according to data from Johns Hopkins University, halting what had been a decline from the Delta-fueled peak that began in September. While the Southeast cools off from its summer surge, other regions are under pressure, including places where colder weather has brought people back indoors where the virus can more easily spread. (Kamp and Maher, 11/14)
ABC News:
Colorado Hospitals On Edge Amid Renewed COVID Surge, Staffing Shortages
As winter approaches, hospitals across the state of Colorado are facing a renewed COVID-19 crisis with an influx of patients flooding into health care facilities. Front-line workers continue to bear the brunt of the state's latest wave, with staffing shortages only exacerbating existing issues. "Our hospitals and ICUs are filling up with patients who are going on ventilators and many of them dying," Dr. Diana Breyer, a critical care physician at UCHealth, told ABC News. (Mitropoulos, 11/14)
Also —
Axios:
Breakthrough COVID Cases Are Rising — And Better Rapid Tests Can Help
Rapid at-home COVID-19 tests that can automatically verify and report positive cases could be especially useful in the next phase of the pandemic. As breakthrough cases rise with the inevitable waning of vaccination-induced immunity, cheap, plentiful screening tests that automatically send results back to health authorities could keep infections down while allowing full reopening. (Walsh, 11/13)
Covid affects animals too —
The New York Times:
Three ‘Beloved’ Snow Leopards Died Of Covid Complications At Nebraska Zoo
Three snow leopards died of complications related to Covid-19 at a zoo in Lincoln, Neb., despite efforts by staff to restore them to health after they tested positive for the virus about a month ago, zoo announcements said. The Lincoln Children’s Zoo lamented the deaths of Ranney, Everest and Makalu in a Facebook post on its official page Friday evening, saying the mountain cats “were beloved by our entire community inside and outside of the zoo.” “This loss is truly heartbreaking, and we are all grieving together,” the statement said. (Manuel Ramos, 11/14)
Meanwhile, a California doctor raises local alarm based on U.K. kids' infections —
Los Angeles Times:
COVID Surge Fueled By Kids In U.K. A Warning For California
Unvaccinated adolescents have been the driving force behind a stubbornly persistent Delta surge in Britain, a potential warning sign for California if inoculation rates don’t improve considerably among this age group, health experts warn. Dr. George Rutherford, a UC San Francisco epidemiologist and infectious-disease expert, said unvaccinated 10- to 14-year-olds are driving the pandemic in the United Kingdom, with case rates among these ages significantly higher than any other group. (Lin II and Money, 11/14)
